To view the slides click on the slide image and open the file.Meaningful student learning experiences occur when the learning is relevant, it builds on what the learner already knows, and the student is also motivated to engage.
This type of the deep and meaningful learning can be fostered through developing the skills of critical thinking and reflection. The Journal has long been used as an educational device to support this development. However, traditional paper-based journals have significant limitations for students and teachers as they are handwritten, you need to have them with you do the reflection, and to give feedback you need to take it away.
Welcome in blogs as an online version of a journal to support creative thinking and reflection. You can learn more about what a blog is by watching some of the videos showing on the left. Blogs are available anywhere that you can get the Internet. There is also an interconnectedness with blogs - through comments, e-mail alerts and RSS feeds, search engines and trackbacks - which can be used to enhance interaction and feedback between teacher and learner, and learner to learner, and learner to the public. Blogs are part of a new range of social software that is in frequent use by Generation Y. These many features mean that their use in higher education for supporting student engagement has great potential which is well worth exploring.
Some of our explorations with blogs are presented as case studies. You might also want to hear what students and teachers think about using blogs in education in their own words through the 8 minute video in the Our links part of this blog (top left hand corner).
